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These Ground Chicken Meatballs are simmered in sauce and deliver extremely tender flavorful meatballs every single time. They’re so easy and healthy! It goes without saying that they’re a winning pairing for pasta, but you could also make up some meatball subs or just enjoy them on their own—even on a weeknight.
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Eating less red meat shouldn’t feel like a punishment, and you certainly don’t have to avoid recipes you love. Just adapt! Ground chicken makes it easy—it’s been proven with my chicken burger recipe. Your whole family will love these meatballs. Even that one stubborn person that swears by beef, I can almost guarantee it.
If you want to try more ground chicken recipes, you’ll love these crisp Sesame Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Wraps! These Greek Chicken Meatballs are also bomb, and to get cozy, this Italian Wedding Soup With Chicken Meatballs is the way.
Why You’ll Love Ground Chicken Meatballs
- They’re full of flavor—the seasoning in the meatballs comes through beautifully, and simmering them in a nice sauce really does wonders.
- Make them in advance—if you want to save on time, make the meatballs and pop them into the fridge to set the night before. This will set you up for an efficient dinner the following day!
- They’re versatile—you can enjoy the meatballs on their own with a nice salad tossed in homemade Caesar dressing, over pappardelle pasta, or stuffed into fresh buns with melty mozzarella.
Ingredients
A full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Marinara sauce—I always use my homemade marinara sauce (it’s super easy!), but store-bought is fine.
- Seasoning—I like throwing some of my homemade Italian seasoning into this mix.
- Worcestershire sauce—This good stuff is a huge flavor enhancer and it works wonderfully in these chicken meatballs.
- Binders—I use both eggs and panko breadcrumbs in my ground chicken meatballs to ensure that they stay together and retain moisture.
Pro Tip
When it comes to salting ground meat, especially poultry, I always use 1 tsp of salt per pound of ground meat. To me, it’s the perfect balance!
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Protein—You can use ground turkey in this recipe, and in that case, you may want to check out my ground turkey meatballs!
- Herbs—You can swap out the Italian seasoning for chopped fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, and oregano. When using fresh herbs, you can use a tablespoon rather than a teaspoon, like with dry.
- Veggies and add-ins—Feel free to play around and add chopped mushrooms, shredded parmesan, or even chopped spinach. If you like spicy, add some crushed chili peppers.
- Sauce—I highly encourage trying these meatballs in other sauces if you want to change things up! You don’t have to limit yourself to tomato sauce. A nice mushroom sauce like I’ve used in my Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Sauce or a rich and cozy spinach and artichoke sauce like used in my Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Skillet.
How to Make Ground Chicken Meatballs
Note: If you’re making my homemade marinara sauce or your own from scratch get that going first, then start on those juicy meatballs! If you’re making the meatballs in advance, you can make the sauce when you’re ready to cook the meatballs.
Step 1. Place all of the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix with your bare hands until well combined. The mixture might feel sticky and wet, but that’s ok!
Step 2. Wash your hands, then lightly oil them with some olive oil. Scoop up about a heaping tablespoon-worth of the mixture and roll it into a ball (about 1 x 1 inch). Set it onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat until done, then refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
Step 3. To cook, place the meatballs into the skillet one by one and let them simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown crust forms. Flip the meatballs and let them simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the other side is golden in color. Add the sauce to the pan covering the meatballs, and let the meatballs simmer (don’t let it get to a full on boil) on medium-low, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Step 4. When the meatballs are ready, garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve
How to Serve Ground Chicken Meatballs
The thing I love about these saucy chicken meatballs is that you can enjoy them in so many yummy ways! Over a bed of pappardelle pasta, stuffed into a hoagie with melted cheese, or just on their own with a nice Greek salad on the side.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- These chicken meatballs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Yes, you can store them with the sauce in the same container.
- To freeze, let the chicken meatballs and sauce cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The best way to reheat chicken meatballs in sauce is to pop them into a saucepan and heat them over the stovetop until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using binders like breadcrumbs and egg are, of course, what “bind” the meatballs together and help them keep their form. Another crucial step is popping them in the fridge to “set” for 30 minutes so they keep their form through the cooking process.
Overmixing the ground chicken mixture can result in a tougher meatball. When you’re mixing your ingredients, use your hands, and blend until everything is well distributed, but no longer.
You can do either. In this recipe, I like pan-frying the meatballs a bit before adding the sauce because all of those pan bits flavor the sauce—and bonus, you’re dirtying less dishes! But you can bake them like my Greek baked chicken meatballs for 15-18 minutes at 450º F.
Breadcrumbs and egg don’t just act as a great binder, but they add moisture to the meatballs as well.
More Easy Ground Chicken Recipes…
If you try this Ground Chicken Meatballs In Sauce, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Ground Chicken Meatballs in Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, Try it with my homemade Italian seasoning!
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- If making a homemade marinara sauce, get that done first. When you're done, leave it on a low simmer and move on to the meatballs.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside.
- Put all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl and blend the mixture thoroughly. The meatball mixture will seem wet and tricky to work with, but that's normal.
- Lightly oil your hands with a bit of olive oil and start forming your meatballs into balls that's measure about 1 x 1 inch, then carefully place the meatballs onto the parchment paper.
- Put the tray of meatballs into the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
- When it's cook time, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan. Gently place the meatballs into the pan one by one, and let them simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Carefully flip the meatballs with tongs and let them simmer for another 3-5 minutes or until the other side is golden in color.
- Add the sauce to the pan, covering the meatballs, and simmer on medium-low, covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165º F.
- When ready, garnish the meatballs with chopped fresh basil and serve them with pasta or on fresh hoagies with mozzarella or provolone cheese.
These are so good! I made them to stuff into hoagies with provolone and they were the perfect dinner. Will definitely make these again with pasta.
Yes! I actually just did this same thing a few weeks ago. Worked out beautifully.
Beautiful pictures and amazing recipe. So flavorful. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
I may have loved these meatballs a little bit too much! There weren’t many left for the kids since I couldn’t stop eating them before I even served dinner!
Lol, oops! This calls for a “sorry not sorry” ;)
I am always looking for ways to cut calories, and this recipe did not disappoint! The meatballs were so tasty!
I’m so glad! Definitely a great way to lighten things up without losing flavor.
I’ve been substituting ground chicken and turkey for a while in a lot of my ground beef recipes, so I’m looking forward to trying this one. I love the flavor of chicken in sauce.
Keep me posted!
These meatballs are a winner! My kids can’t get enough of these!
I love hearing this!
These are the go-to in our house and we’re excited to give the ground chicken burgers a shot too!
Great! Keep me posted :)
These are crazy good! Had them in a meatball sandwich the next day and WOW.
Oh yes, so so good as a sammy :)
You had me at meatballs! It was a great excuse to bust out my favorite cast iron skillet and make this deliciousness! Thank you for a great alternative to beef! Loved it!
You’re welcome!
I love how easy these are, and cooking them longer in the sauce helps lock in the moisture! yum
Thanks, Rebecca!